Friction device for vertically sliding window sashes



Dec. 25, 1945. L. A. MACKLANBURG 2,391,431

FRICTION DEVICE FOR VERTICALLY SLIDING WINDOW SASHES Filed April 5, 19445 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NI 'EN TOR.

Dec. 25, 1945. l 1 A. MACKLANBURG 2,391,431

FRICTION DEVICE FOR VERTICALLY SLIDING WINDOW SASHES Filed April 5, 19445 SheetS-Shet 5 u IN V EN TOR.

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Dec- 25 1945. LA. MAczKLANBuRG y 2,391,431 *Y FRICTION DEVICE FORVERTICALLY SLIDING WINDOW SASHES Filed April 5, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 5FIGA?) INI/,ENNA

Flc-M2 WWW 'mx/M7 Patented Dec. 25, 1945 i' Vi' UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE) FEIGTIODEVICE FOR VERTICALIVJY- SLIDING WINDOW SASHES.

Louis A. Macklanb'urg, Oklahoma City, Okla. n Application April, 1944,Serial No. 529,888 2 Claims.. (01.7292-76) My invention relates todevices for providing friction between a windowframe and a verticallyslidable sash mounted therein. l

During recent years, considerable effort has been exerted, by windowframe andsash manufacturers, in an attempt to eliminate theuse of sashpulleys, sash cords and sash weights, which are normally used tocounter-balance the weight of the sash. Sash weights as commonly used atthe present time, not only act te overcome the friction between the sashand frame, and thereby reduce the effort requiredvtoraise a window sash,but by counter-balancing the weight of the sash, they also act to holdit in any desired position of vertical adjustment. Itl has beenfoundthat ccunter-balance'sash weights couldwellbe eliminated, in connectionwith window frames wherein comparatively light weight sliding sash areused,

were it not for the fact that the sash, duev to its weight, will notremain in the various desired positions of vertical adjustment.

In order to hold the vsash in such desired vertical positions, bladespring members of various configurations have heretofore been employedbetween the edge of the sash and the face of the window'frame. Ithasbeen found, however, that springs having different resiliency must beprovided for sashes of each different weight, even when the clearancebetween the window frame and the edge of the sash is made uniform.H'owever, since such clearance is not always made uniform, variousfriction springs, having different amounts of resiliency, must be triedbefore the correct amount of friction can be obtained. This means thatthe person making the sash installation must first equip himself with anassortment of springsof different sizes or thickness', and he must thenexperiment until ,he` finds the proper springs for each particular sashinstallation.

k'I'heprirne object of the present invention is to provide a frictionexerting spring, for the purpose set forth, and to provide, inconnection therewith,

an adjustable means whereby the spring may be adjusted toV compensatefor sashes of different weights, and also to compensate for thedifferent clearance spaces between the sash and frame.

Another objectl is to provide a device of this class which is simple inconstruction, and; therefore comparatively cheap to manufacture. y

A further object is to provide a device of this class wherein theadjustment may be` easily and quickly accomplished'. Y Y

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide afacing strip for windowy frame sash races, or for the outer edges ofvertically sliding window sash, whichstrip will co-act with frictionsprings of the type describedforfimpeding gravitational'movement ofthesashi Other objects will'be apparent from the following description whentaken inlconnection withthe accompanying five sheets of drawings,wherein:

' Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View of a window frame,the fullllinesshowing one embodiment of the friction spring memberoperatively installed thereon, andthe dottedlines illustrating itsadjustability; x,

VFigures 2 and 3 are similarviews of twovislightly different embodimentsof the spring member; l

igureA 4 is a fragmentary vertical` sectional view through a verticallysliding window sash, and showing in a similar manner,v another nem'bodiment of the vfriction spring operatively in,- stalled thereon; y n

Figure 5 is a view similar to that of Figure 4, and showing yet anotherembodiment of the spring member of the present invention;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective View of a typical window framewith two vertically sliding sashes operatively mounted therein, aportion of the side rail of each sash being broken away 'to disclose thefriction spring of-Figure l operatively disposed on the window frame; y

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective viewof a typical window frame,with two vertically sliding sashes mounted therein, and showing thefriction spring of Figure 4 operatively installed onf the outside faceof a side rail of each sash;

Figure 8 is a view similar-to Figure 3, showing e, 'slightly differentarrangement of the friction spring attached to a window frame member;

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8 showing the spring of Figureoperatively installed upon the outside edge of a window sash; I

Figure l0 is a view similar to Figure 7 illustrating a friction plate orstrip operativelyl installed in a window frame sash race; v

Figure 11 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a typical windowframe, a portion ofthe trim being broken away to illustrate theevo-acting function of the spring and strip;

Figure 12 is a view similar the friction strip thereof operativelyinstalled upon the vertical outside edge of tM e window sash;

Figure 13 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 1 but showing theco-action of the friction strip of Figure 12 with a friction springmounted in a sash race; and, l 'l Figure 14 is a fragmntaryperspective'view of a slightly different embodiment of the frictionstrip.

to Figure 10 showing usually slides.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral I indicates a portion of a vertically extendingside member of a usual window frame, the inside surface of which isindicated by the numeral 2. The surface 2 is that face of the framemember I along which the outer edge of a vertically sliding window sash'Ihe friction spring elements of Figures 1, 2, and 3 are designed to beoperatively installed upon the face 2, in the sash race which is formedbetween the usual parting stop 3 and a blind stop 4, (Figures 6 and '1),or is installed in the sash race lying between the parting stop 3 and amolding stop 5. Ordinarily the springs will be mounted in both races soas to contact each outermost edge of the two side rails 6 of the uppersash 1 and the similar edges of the side rails 8 of the lower sash 9.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 1, the reference numeral Iindicates, as a whole, a comparatively thin resilient metal spring ofthe strap or blade type. The spring I0 is formed from a single piece,and is properly tempered after being formed. The spring I0 istransversely corrugated to provide three waves or crests II. I2, and I3,and to form two Valleys I4 and I5. 'Ihe middle crest I2 is of lessextent from the surface 2 of the window frame than the crests II and I3`which respectively lie above and below the crest I2, and the valleyportions I4 and I5 connect the wave I2 to the waves II and I3respectively. The valleys I4 and I5 rest against the surface 2 and areheld in contact therewith by a wood screw I6, or other suitable detent.The upper and lower portions of the waves II and I3 respectivelyterminate in lips I1 and I3 which project slightly away from the surface2.

As clearly illustrated by the dotted lines, tightening of the screw IGtoward the surface 2 acts to reduce the extent of the Wave I2, and.

the extent of the crests II and I3 are thereby increased. It is obviousthat greater friction will therefore be exerted on the edge of the sash.

' It is pointed out that the amount of the curvatures of the spring I0have been exaggerated in Figure 1, as well as in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5,in order to better illustrate the principle of the friction adjustmentfeature. It will also be understood that the presence ofthe window sash,when the spring is in actual use, will materially decrease the amountVof extension of the curvatures from the surface 2 of the window frame.

In Figure 2 there is illustrated a friction spring which is formedsomewhat similar to the spring I0, but is different in that its upperand lower end portions 2| and 22 do not normally contact the face 2 ofthe frame when the sash is absent. The spring 28 is identical with thespring I0 of Figure 1 except that the lips I1 and I8, and the endportions of the waves II and I3 have been severed and the remaining endsare turned in toward the surface 2 as shown at 23. The adjustment ofthis embodiment of the invention is accomplished in a manner similar tothat of the spring I0 of Figure 1.

In Figure 3 is shown an adjustable friction spring 30 formed out of astrip of fiat spring metal. similar to the lips I'I and I8 of Figure l.It has two valleys 33 and 34 and two sloping sides 35 and 36 whichextend outwardly from the surface 2 and converge to form a pocket orcountersink portion 31 for nesting the head of the wood screw I6. Inthis embodiment, movement of the screw head toward the face 2 of theWndQW imm@ This spring has ltwo endlips 3| and 32,v

decreases the amount of friction which the spring may exert against theedge of the sash.

In Figure 4 is illustrated an embodiment of the invention which isdesigned to be mounted upon the outer edge of the vertical side memberof a sliding window sash. This side member is indicated by the referencenumeral 40, and has an outer surface 4I which normally contacts the face2 of the window frame.

In this embodiment, the side member 4I) is laterally bored to receive atubular ferrel 42 having interior threads 43 throughout its length. Anexteriorly threaded cylindrical adjusting element 44 is threadedlyengaged with the threads 43 within the ferrel 42, and has a slot acrossone end to receive a screw-driver for an obvious reason. The oppositeend of the element 44, carries an axial pin 45 which extends outwardlyfrom the ferrel 42 beyond the surface 4I of the member 40, and its outerend is provided with a head 46.

In this embodiment, there is.provided a friction spring 41 which issimilar in figuration to the spring 20 of Figure 2. Adjustment of theelement 44 within the ferrel 42 has the same effect in this embodiment,as does adjustment of the wood screw I6 of Figure 2 upon the spring 20.

In Figure 5. the adjusting mechanism is the same as in Figure 4, but afriction spring 5I? is used in lieu of the spring 41 of Figure 4. Thespring `is shaped similarly to the spring 3U of Figure 3, except thatinstead of the counter sunk portion of 30, there is provided a valley 5Ito receive and nest the head 4S of the pin 45. Movement of the adjustingelement 44 in Figure 4 has the same effect upon the spring 50 as doesadjustment of the wood screw I6 of Figure 3.

In Figure 6, is shown the positions in the window frame at which thefriction springs should 40 be installed, and'in Figure 7 two of thesprings 41 of Figure 4 are shown operatively installed upon a verticallyslidable window sash. In Figures 6 and 7 the installation of only thesprings I0 and 41 have been shown, but the other types of springs couldwell be used in lieu of them.

In Figure 8 there is shown a friction spring 39, of the type illustratedin Figure 3, installed upon the surface 2 of the window frame I by aslightly different adjusting means. In this embodiment the frame memberI of the window frame is provided with a horizontal through bore 69. Athreaded plate 6I is provided along the outside surface 62 of the memberI, and has a threaded perforation for receiving a stove bolt 63. Thebolt 63 is used similarly to the Woodscrew I6 of Figure 3 with its head64 nested in the counter-sink 31 of the spring 30.

The advantage of this type of installation lies in the fact that thehead 64 of the bolt 63 always ylies within the transverse bore E0 in theframe member I. This precludes any possibility of the head 64 evercontacting the edge surface of a window sash, no matter how closely thesash may fit in the window frame. In this embodiment the friction of thespring 30 is adjusted by use of a screw-driver, before the sashis placedin its sash race.

In Figure 9, the spring 30 is shown installed upon the outer verticaledge surface of the side member 40 of a window sash. In this embodiment,a pocket 'I0 is provided in the outer edge face of a window sash, inorder to allow th'eY central portion 31 of the spring to operatetherein.

A stove-bolt 1I extends outwardly through the sash member 40, and awing-nut 12 is provided upon its outer end for adjusting the spring 30in an obvious manner.

In some cases, such as in factory windows, it has been found that`vibration of machinery, trains, etc., will tend to let a raised Windowsash gradually Work downwardly, even though thetension of the variousfriction springs is sufficient to normally h'old the sash stationary. Toprevent such a contingency, transversely ribbed friction strips may beused in conjunction with the various friction springs above describedherein. These strips and their positions of installation are illustratedin Figures 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14.

The friction strip is indicated by the reference numeral 80, andconsists of a strap-like element, preferably of sheet metal, having aplurality of spaced self formed transversely extending ribs 8|. Thestrip 80 may be installed in the Window frame sash races as illustratedin Figures 10 and 11 in cases Where the friction springs are carried bythe Window sash. When the` friction springs are mounted in the sashraces, the strips 80 will then be installed along theouter vertical edgesurfaces of the sash, as illustrated in Figures 12 and 13. In FigureslO,11, 12 and 13, the ribs 8| are shown to be spaced to coincide properlywith the portions Il and I3 of the spring 41, but this spacing could bevaried as desired. With the ribs 8| spaced substantially like those oflFigure 14, practically any one of the friction springs would beaccommodated.

It is thought to be evident that the ribs 8l of the strips 80 do notoffer sumcient resistance against movement of the sash to vitally impairmanual raising or lowering lof the same. The springs will ride over theribs when sufficient pressure is applied.

I claim:

l. In a device of the class described, the combination with a verticallydisposed window frame member having a race for receiving the edge of avertically slidable Window sash', said member having an indentation inits race, of: a bladetype spring having a central portion adapted tonest Within said indentation, said portion being of a depth less thanthe depth of said indentation; other portions of said spring, one ateach side of said central portion, and normally spaced from the surfaceof said race; and means for adjustably moving said central portion ofthe spring toward thebottom of said indentation.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a verticallydisposed member of a vertically sliding Window sash, said member havingan indentation in its outer side edge surface, of: a blade-type springhaving a central portion adapted to nest Within said indentation, saidportion being of a depth less than the depth of said indentation; otherportions of said spring, one at each side of said central portion, andnormally spaced from the edge surface of said sash; and means foradjustably moving the central portion of said spring toward the bottomof said indentation.

LOUIS A. MACKLANBURG.

